Krell
Krell The Krell are a species of amphibious reptiles native to the planet of the same name, located in the 61 Cygni system, approximately 11.4LY from Earth. They are one of the two founding species of the Coalition, along with the Brokers, and have been members for more than two hundred years. The Krell hail from a relatively primitive, pre-industrial society, and are not capable of space flight under their own power. They rely heavily on the Brokers to transport them to and from their posts, and they seem content with that arrangement, showing no signs of wanting to develop their planet any further. The exact nature of the relationship between the Brokers and the Krell is not well understood. Biology. The Krell are amphibious reptiles that evolved in an environment primarily consisting of mudflats and mangrove swamps. Their ancestors likely resembled crocodilians, convergent evolution having imbued them with a body plan that is outwardly similar. They are basically humanoid, with two arms, and two digitigrade legs. Their bodies are sheathed in layers of tough, leathery scales and bony scutes that are a spinach-green in color, tapering into a lighter beige on their smoother undersides. Their coloration darkens with age, ranging from a leaf-green in hatchlings to an onyx-black in elders. Their long snouts are filled with jagged, interlocking teeth that aid in catching fish and other prey animals. Krell have long, oar-like tails that make up about half of their overall body length, which aid in swimming and in which large fat deposits are often stored. Krell have seven-fingered hands which end in dull claws, and their seven toes are splayed wide, providing a large surface area that prevents the heavy creatures from sinking into the mud of their homeworld, not unlike a camel walking on sand. Their size and dimensions vary wildly due to the fact that the Krell seemingly never stop growing throughout their lives. Their natural lifespans seem to be indefinite, and while suspicions of biological immortality abound, no observer has lived long enough to confirm it. At the very least, a Krell can live to be several hundred years old due to their plodding metabolisms, and their immense resistance to disease and injury. An average Krell of the appropriate age and status to serve in the Coalition is around nine feet tall, despite their hunched posture, and measures on average sixteen feet from nose to tail. They range from 1500-2000lbs, making them the largest and the heaviest species in the Coalition by a wide margin, but the oldest surviving Krell are rumored to have reached sizes approaching sixty feet. Much like their Earth counterparts, the Krell evolved as ambush predators, able to remain inactive for long periods of time in wait of prey. Once a suitable target nears, the usually lethargic creatures are capable of impressive bursts of speed and strength, which allows them to surprise the skittish ungulates and other native animals that make up the bulk of their diet. The Krell are also powerful swimmers, and it can be argued that they are more at home in the water than on land. While walking, their gait is slow and ponderous, but thanks to their streamlined bodies and powerful tails, they are graceful and acrobatic while swimming. Hemocyanin. Unlike the hemoglobin that is used to transport oxygen in the blood of most vertebrates, giving it a red hue, the Krell instead use a protein called hemocyanin. This protein, which is more commonly found in invertebrates, gives the blood of the Krell a blue tint and colors their mucous membranes and tissues a shade of azure when exposed to the air. Being ectotherms, the Krell are unable to regulate their body temperature internally and must either bask beneath a heat source in order to warm themselves, or enter cold water in order to cool off. Krell serving in the Coalition must be provided with heat lamps and basking pools, or otherwise, be fitted with bodysuits containing heating and cooling elements. The hemocyanin found in Krell blood is suspected to have anti-cancer properties. Studies have shown that it may prolong survival, decrease tumor growth and incidence, and act as an immuno-stimulant. Due to their long lifespans, this adaptation may have evolved to combat the DNA damage that results from cell division over extended periods of time, thus allowing them to survive for hundreds or even thousands of years without succumbing to cancer. Following this trend, Krell blood is packed with powerful antibiotics that are able to counter bacterial and viral infections far more successfully than the antibodies produced by humans, meaning that infections are very rare. It is possible for a Krell to sustain a serious injury that results in an open wound, or even the loss of a limb, and despite direct exposure to the swamp water of their native environment, no serious infection will result. The Krell immune system is dependent on thermoregulation just as their other biological functions are, however, and can be suppressed by extreme cold. Frenzy. While usually docile and friendly, the Krell have powerful protective instincts that, when triggered by a threat to their charges, results in them entering a state of heightened metabolic activity. This is often referred to by UNN personnel as a frenzy, rampage, or freakout. The Krell store a great deal of energy in their copious fat reserves, which their slow metabolism allows them to subsist on for long periods of time under normal circumstances, resulting in them only needing to eat once every few months. In times of stress, this energy can be burned extremely quickly, endowing the Krell with strength and speed that transcends even what one would anticipate from such a physically imposing creature. This state of heightened activity manifests as increased resistance to pain and injury, increased reflexes and reaction times, and heightened aggression. Sexual Dimorphism and Gender. Unlike many species, the Krell are not especially sexually dimorphic. Although they have a ZW sex-determination system, with male and female chromosomes, it is often difficult to tell one gender from another due to the lack of secondary sexual characteristics. The females lack breasts, as they do not nurse their young, and the changes in figure and fat deposits between genders are subtle. Krell have no external genitalia, their reproductive organs are housed internally in a modified cloaca, and are only visible during arousal. Said cloaca differs from those used by birds and reptiles on Earth, and is comprised of two distinct channels, one of which is used solely for passing waste, and the other of which houses the reproductive organs. One notable feature of Krell sexuality is a phenomenon known as sequential hermaphroditism. If a population of Krell is isolated within an environment with a significant gender imbalance when their mating season begins, an event that happens once every few decades, a percentage of said population will begin to spontaneously change gender. The reproductive organs are built from the same basic structures, and changes in the levels of sex hormones released into the body will trigger them to begin the process. In only a matter of days, a previously functional male can develop fully-formed and functional female reproductive organs, or vice-versa. This process is theoretically reversible, though that has never been observed to be the case. For the duration of their mating season, the Krell enter a period of heat in which the desire to reproduce is powerful and overriding. Males will compete for the attention of females using powerful, low-frequency mating calls, and copulation usually occurs in large groups of several dozen individuals. During this period, males will attempt to inseminate as many females as possible, fertilizing their store of eggs. Krell are oviparous, laying clutches of eggs with leathery shells which are about the size of a cantaloupe. Once a female's eggs have been fertilized, she will search for a suitable location to lay them, usually somewhere wet with the correct environmental conditions. The gender of Krell hatchlings depends on the temperature of the local environment, with cooler climes producing females, and warmer ones producing males. Krell young are numerous and highly mobile, resembling quadrupedal lizards about the size of an Iguana. They are independent, able to hunt small fish and insects on their own, and it is common practice for hatchlings to be released into the wild on the homeworld. Those that survive will return to Krell society once they have reached the appropriate stage of development. This method was likely favored because it prevents overpopulation, as the mortality rate in adult Krell is extremely low, as they are resistant to injury and suffer no predation. As a side-effect of this, Krell never know who their parents are, and the burden of raising and educating them falls upon the community as a whole rather than a single couple. Although Krell are polygamous during mating season, copulating with a large number of the opposite sex, monogamous behavior has been observed in some cases. During each mating season, they will seek out a partner that they have a special connection or compatibility with, bonding with that individual for life and continuing to procreate with them even after their heat has ended. Role in the Coalition. The Krell are imposing creatures, possessed of great strength and resistance to injury. This makes them ideal for service in the Coalition. Krell who serve alongside UNN troops are known as ''Linebreakers ''due to their ability to push through seemingly insurmountable obstacles, and their usefulness in breaking up enemy formations and repelling attacks. Their friendly nature and protective instincts result in them devoting themselves entirely to the safekeeping of their squad, a trait that has earned them a great deal of admiration and respect in the Navy. It is not uncommon to see a Krell charging headlong into gunfire in the hopes of rescuing a fallen Marine, or using their body to shield their comrades. They are most commonly outfitted with armored ponchos made from ceramic plates and Kevlar weave, providing extra layers of protection on top of their considerable natural defenses. When operating in a vacuum or a hostile environment, they can be equipped with armored space suits or environment suits that help regulate their body temperature, though they are generally not suited to such tasks. Krell are often equipped with hefty riot shields that allow them to soak up enemy fire and provide cover for their squad, and they carry weapons far heavier and more destructive than would be considered man-portable for a human. The most common of these is the light machinegun variant of the XMR platform, a six-foot-long railgun with a gun shield that helps provide additional protection for the wielder. This weapon has a large magazine and a high rate of fire, making it suitable for suppression. Its wielder often acts as a living pillbox, providing covering fire and area denial. The weapon is generally fielded with several replacement barrels, with the expectation that they will melt due to heat buildup after sustained use.